Placental abnormalities in congenital heart disease.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) remains the most common birth defect in infants, and critical CHD is associated with significant rates of morbidity and mortality. With the advent of powerful yet noninvasive advanced fetal imaging, it is becoming increasingly evident that the presence of CHD in utero disrupts typical development and contributes to the lifelong morbidity in this population. Across healthy and high-risk populations, intrauterine influences can permanently alter fetal development that may manifest in complex morbidities later in life, the so-called fetal-onset-of-adult-disease (FOAD) phenomenon. The placenta plays a critical role in not only supporting fetal development, but also by adapting to specific intrauterine conditions. The role of placental health, adaptation and dysfunction, however, in CHD is not well understood. In this article, we will review current evidence relating placental health in CHD, appraise existing knowledge-gaps in the field and highlight promising new avenues to better understand the impact of placental function on fetal well-being. We will review evidence of

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2021 Translational Pediatrics. All rights reserved.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Conflicts of Interest: Both authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tp-20-347). The series “Pre-natal Diagnosis in Congenital Heart Defects” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.